Legal recognition of non-binary gender
18 countries legally recognize non-binary or third gender identities.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender
Most countries around the world only legally recognize male and female on official documents such as passports, licenses, birth certificates, and other official identification documents. However, in recent years, some countries, provinces, and states have begun offering the ability for non-binary and intersex individuals to request a change to official documents.
Usually, official documents will be marked with an "X" gender marker (rather than "M" or "F" for male or female).
Summary
Timeline of legal recognition of non-binary gender
Recent Changes
2026
2025
- AustriaRecognizedDecember 18
- NunavutRecognizedSeptember 18
- CanadaRecognizedSeptember 18
- ParanáRecognizedSeptember 2
- Norfolk IslandRecognizedJuly 1
- AustraliaRecognizedJuly 1
- New South WalesRecognizedJuly 1
- SergipeRecognizedJuly 1
- United StatesRecognizedJune 17
- Puerto RicoRecognizedJune 2
- Western AustraliaRecognizedMay 30
- Christmas IslandRecognizedMay 30
- CocosRecognizedMay 30
- BelgiumRecognizedApril 1
- Mexico CityRecognizedMarch 4
- AcreRecognizedJanuary 30
- Espírito SantoRecognizedJanuary 22
- RoraimaRecognizedJanuary 1
2024
Legal recognition of non-binary gender by Country
Recognized
Legal recognition of non-binary gender is recognized in 18 regions.
Intersex only
Legal recognition of non-binary gender is intersex only in 3 regions.
Not legally recognized
Legal recognition of non-binary gender is not legally recognized in 171 regions.
- Asia (40)
- Afghanistan
- Bahrain
- Bhutan
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- China
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mongolia
- Myanmar
- North Korea
- Oman
- Palestine
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Sri Lanka
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Turkmenistan
- United Arab Emirates
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Europe (42)
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Estonia
- Finland
- France 2016
- Georgia
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy 2024
- Kosovo
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- Vatican City
- North America (19)
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Africa (51)
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Republic of the Congo
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
Data on legal recognition of non-binary gender is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 6 regions.
- Europe (1)
- Spain Varies by Region
- Antarctica (1)
- Antarctica N/A
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